to me this is an empty promise from Verizon until they deliver.  The only
definite action that we know has occurred has been the withdraw of the
formal complaint.  the last thing Verizon did on the disability access front
was to deny any responsibility in making their phones accessible and at a
price point available to many sighted persons.

A more telling statement was:

The FCC did not immediately respond to a question on whether, as a result of
the two settled complaints, it intends to affirmatively press for improved
access to mobile-phone service for consumers who are blind.

My take:  the bush Administration won't touch this but doesn't want to say
so in an election year.

Kelly



----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Courcelles" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 6:04 PM
Subject: Verizon settles O'Day complaint


> Verizon settles O'Day complaint
>
> by
> Jeffrey Silva
> Aug. 27, 2004 1:16 PM EST
>
> WASHINGTON-Verizon Wireless today said it reached a settlement with Dr.
> Bonnie O'Day over a 2003 complaint filed with the Federal Communications
> Commission
> in which she alleged the nation's top mobile-phone operator violated
federal
> law by failing to make its products and services accessible to people with
> visual disabilities.
>
> The settlement follows an accord O'Day, who is blind, reached with
Audiovox
> Communications Corp. last December regarding a separate but related
> complaint.
>
> O'Day praised the settlement, stating: "I filed the complaint because
blind
> and low-vision people were frustrated with the pace of progress achieved
by
> the wireless industry. Verizon Wireless' commitment in this settlement to
> breaking down the barriers to accessibility, however, makes them a leader
in
> providing wireless access to blind and visually impaired consumers."
>
> Terms of the settlement were not released. The parties, however, said
> Verizon Wireless later this year intends to introduce a moderately priced
> wireless
> handset with new accessibility features to address some of the concerns
> raised by O'Day. The O'Day-Audiovox settlement also led to the production
of
> a
> new mobile phone that can be used by blind people.
>
> The FCC did not immediately respond to a question on whether, as a result
of
> the two settled complaints, it intends to affirmatively press for improved
> access to mobile-phone service for consumers who are blind.
>
> The joint press release said Verizon Wireless has taken additional steps
to
> provide people with disabilities easier access to user information such as
> bills,
> manuals and product information in accessible formats; to modify its Web
> site to be more user friendly for blind and low-vision individuals; and to
> modify
> employee training on disability issues.
>
> The release said Verizon Wireless also is assessing additional, more
> advanced speech output capabilities for mobile handsets carried on its
> network with
> a view toward incorporating these capabilities in future models.
>
> Scott H. Strauss and James N. Horwood of Spiegel & McDiarmid represented
O'Day.
> The two lawyers took the case on a pro bono basis because of its potential
> significance to visually impaired mobile-handset customers and to the
> companies that offer products and services to them. Earlier this year,
> Strauss received
> the American Foundation for the Blind's 2004 Access Award in appreciation
of
> his efforts.
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html